Images by srwhmg

The flame in the fire:
Last night, we celebrated Christmas, and we also celebrated that 3 years ago, the impound notice for the Salt River wild horses was canceled, do you remember it?
Together, all of us, the public, our politicians and our Governor, we preserved an important piece of our history and a priceless recreational and educational resource. In addition, we showed that Arizona has a heart!
Like the fire in our hearts, we lit our Christmas fire with our wishes for continued succes. The flame in the fire is astonishing. This picture is not photoshopped. Can you see it? The spirit of the horse was with us.
May we never forget the ones we lost and never forget that we could have lost them all.
May you have love and peace and may the spirit of the horse be with you this Christmas season.
Love, SRWHMG.
Picture by SRWHMG photographer Ron Robertson.

2019 Calendars!! $19.95!! These amazing images of the Salt River Wild Horses provide you with inspiration while providing the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group (SRWHMG) with funds!
The pictures are high quality on quality paper ( after the year is over, many people put them in a frame.) There are interesting facts about the Salt River wild horses on every page and it includes a page on the rescued Salt River wild horses, and guess who is on the back?
BEWARE: this is the ONLY calendar that provides funding for their humane management. It came to our attention that there are other Salt River wild horse calendar’s out there that may appear like they would provide funds for their management, however they do not. So please buy ours! Thank you!
The link to our website is in our bio. Once you get to the main page click the menu and you will see the calendar link.

Happy National Day of the Horse!
They give us so much, their loyalty, their power and their peace. Can anyone imagine where we would have been today without the horse? They plowed our fields, ran our mail and fought our battles.
Let's treat all horses kinder as they are so kind to us.
Let's be patient with them, as they are patient with us. Let's honor them, like they have honored us.
As for wild horses, even while they don't bear our weight or obey our commands, they still give us so much. The privilege of watching wild horses in freedom, is to receive a little bit of their peace into our souls.
It may be fighting for their freedom, that will redeem us from all the cruelty that has gone before.
Please watch wild horses while keeping a respectful 50 ft distance. Happy wild horse watching and Happy National Day of the Horse! SRWHMG
#fox10phoenix#12newsaz#abcnewsaz#abc15arizonanews#azfamilynews#azfamily

A wild love story!
These two hardworking SRWHMG volunteers are wildly passionate about wild horses AND about eachother! He asked her for her hand on the hay trailer, and she said yes! With HAY bouquet and SRWHMG friends and family in tow, they got hitched at the Salt River this weekend! Yeehaw!
We at SRWHMG are proud to be more than just volunteers, and now we have proof, we are a family! They dedicated their wedding to the horses and asked for donations only, as wedding gifts.
Please let this awesome couple know that you appreciate all they do and if you feel like it, give a few dollars to the cause to wish them a long and happy life together! We love you Amy and Clay!! Congratulations!
To donate please go to the link in our bio. Thank you. 🐴♥️

**Our beautiful friend Buddy**
Buddy is the wild horse with the elephant leg,...many of you know and love him. The Forest Service, MCSO and the AZDA received many calls on him, and he kept our hotline pretty busy on some days. We would say "yes we know he's outthere, but Buddy himself, he doesnt want to be rescued, and he doesnt think it's his time to go". That may sound odd, but for years, Buddy was tough and managed to enjoy his life in spite of his handicap. Due to an old injury, there was an enormous amount of proud flesh, cellulitus and infection in his right rear leg and it kept getting worse. But then he would cross the river and dissapear for months on end (there are many canyons and washes to hide) and we would think he had not made it,..then he would reappear. We attempted to rescue him several times. We've never failed any rescue attempt, but Buddies, every time.
But these last few months, we knew if we didn't do something, his natural death would be a very cruel one. So together with the AZDA, the humane decision to euthanize had been made. We are so thankful that we have our Ag Liaison Jacquelynn Hughes, and want to thank her for her expertise, compassion and the authorization to end his suffering.
Words from volunteers;
Buddy, we have learned so much from you and your strong spirit. You never gave up. You were a loyal friend. You taught young bachelors how to become stallions. They would stay with you until they were strong and ready to form their own bands. There will never be another like Buddy. He was a warrior, he was a loyal friend.
He earned his dignified ending. We did not want to take him out of the place he loved. He was having a last meal of fresh hay happily; then in a split millisecond, made the leap over the rainbow bridge.
This is our loss, not his, because he is still wild, and more free than ever.
Rest in peace dear Buddy boy. All of us, SRWHMG.
P.S.1. We have pictures of his leg for those of you who want to see it, they are graphic, so we dont want to expose people who don't want to see that, but they are available upon request.

This is Kamil, we need your help in finding him. We saw him for a fleeting moment after we were at the scene of an accident where he was hit, and went looking for him that night, and ever since. He is in the wide open large area of the bulldog canyon. We have received two calls from the public about him so we know that he is still outthere, but not doing well. These flyers are hanging at the entrance of the bulldog canyon and at the MCSO station. Please help us distribute this post in the hope of being able to help him. Thank you.

**May all their Christmases be wild**
We are very busy spreading a little PR for the Salt River wild horses and spreading lots of holiday cheer! We had so much fun at the Apache Junction Holiday Light Parade!
Besides for our important work for the horses in the field at the Salt River, we participate in several fun local events to further ensure that the Salt River wild horses not be forgotten and that all their Christmases may be wild!! From our herd to yours, Happy Holidays!! Pictures by SRWHMG photographer Ron Robertson.
#swipeleft

We are committed to taking care of the Salt River wild horses come low or high water. It is a multi- faceted commitment that requires a lot of manpower, skill as well as funding.
We operate emergency response, long term emergency measures, habitat improvement, public safety, monitoring and research, fertility control, veterenary care, public education and sanctuary to the rescued. Without you, our loyal supporters, we could not do any of it.
Some blame non profit organizations like us for asking for funds, but without resources, our hands would be tied. We are not a rich organization, we are not funded by the government, but we have a lot of power; we have the willpower, the manpower and the power of the public to see this through.
It is our mission to protect the Salt River wild horses from harm. They are still here for everyone to enjoy because they are funded by you the public and taken care of by us, the public. We are so proud of that and we wish there was a bigger word than Thank you.
We raised approximately $11000 this givingtuesday. Unfortunately it did not get matched, but we have allocated some back to our rescue funds plus it has afforded us a much needed UTV for search and rescue operations and feed team operations.
THANK YOU. (Not a big enough word) SRWHMG.

***Rescue Highlight: This is Gideon then and now.
An abandoned Salt River wild horse, premature at 33 pounds, found in 115 scorching summer temps. You don't just turn a blind eye to these situations and thanks to our supporters, we don't have to. Your donation on #givingtuesday will go towards his care as well as our other 12 wild rescues, and it will replenish our rescue fund for the next one in need. Managing wild horses in a humane way is not cheap, nor is it easy, but they are worth it. Do you agree? Become their sponsor! Go to Www.srwhmg.org Gideon wishes you all a wonderful holiday season!

Rockin' around, building a Christmas tree!🌲
At the SRWHMG party hop!
Dont forget to support us please on smile.amazon.com when you shop!! 🙏
(a percentage of your purchases will go towards the horses!🐎) Happy Holidays!

INVEST IN THESE TREASURES THIS GIVING TUESDAY, and help us prove that wild horses can be managed for the public and by the public!
We are thankful, thankful for your voice. Together, we stopped the roundup of the Salt River wild horses, then fought to pass the bill for their protection and today we are managing this cherished herd in a humane and responsible manner under the State of Arizona. We have put our money where our mouth was. We promised from the start that these horses can be managed for the public and by the public....But now we need YOUR help to continue to prove it.
We cannot do it alone, we are not a rich organization and are in need of resources to be able to keep our word. We need funds for our humane birth control program and funds for our feed program. We need SRP electricity connection to our property (expensive) and an additional large arena to give the wild rescues more room to run free.
So once more we look to you; IF everyone who gave them a voice also gave them a few dollars, we could do so much! With enough resources, we plan to expand our programs, even to other herds in the future. We always set our goals high and with Arizona behind us, we know that nothing is impossible. We dream of humane management for all wild horses everywhere. Dream big with us and help us reach our goal of $35,000 dollars this Giving Tuesday! Facebook has a matching program! If you give before or on #GivingTuesday it counts as double! Please SHARE this fundraiser (add to every page you know where people may want to contribute to the everlasting freedom of the Salt River wild horses.) Please tag it #GivingTuesday Happy Thanksgiving!

Save a horse, share this post!
This is Salt River Wild Horse Habitat. These signs are on Bush Hwy for a good reason!
(Do people still pay attention to signs at all anymore these days?) Just PLEASE warn everyone you know to take these signs seriously. You can help us educate and make your family and friends aware. More awareness might literally save a life.
Our volunteers on duty work hard to protect traffic as well as the horses, when these situations occur, but we simply cannot save them all. We are grieving the loss of yet another beautiful stallion who was hit this past week. The people in the truck were ok, but Geronimo was not. RIP beautiful Geronimo.
This winter season has already been a bad one for wild horses on Bush hwy because *A. During the winter they are traveling more and farther away from the river *B. Bush Hwy is wider and smoother than last winter *C.There is less MCSO speed enforcement during the winter months *D. We lost 5 out of the 8 large message boards due to MCDOT needing them in other places. *D. The green grass on the sides of the road is too tempting.
So here's what you can do to help avoid tragedy on Bush Hwy. We hope you will share this advice and maybe it will save a horses' life, maybe even in other wild horse areas as well.
When driving through a wild horse area: - Heed your speed, be alert, and watch not only the road ahead, but also the sides of the road.
- Reduce your speed at each horse crossing sign, and look left and right. -Use your high beam at night as much as possible, as it will show you their eyes before you will see their bodies. - When you see horses on the wrong side of the fence (like the "bad" horses in this picture), please note the milemarker and call our hotline, so that we can send a watchful eye over them. (480) 868 9301. - When you see horses ON the road, slow down immediately and warn traffic behind you by pumping your breaks. - Beware that one horse, most always means more horses. -Do NOT stop on the side of the highway and do NOT stop in the middle of the highway unless necessary to avoid hitting the horse.

We are having a great time at the Ciolim Gallery fundraiser! We want to thank this beautiful gallery so much for their support! We rely on public support and local businesses to be able to continue our important work. Please like their Facebook page for us as a thank you! We will be here tomorrow also, comon by and see us! Find some amazing deals in the silent auction, buy cool wild horse merchandise, purchase one of a kind art for decorating or take a painting class!
C u soon! 6710 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek. (If u cant make it, you can ofcourse also support us by donating through our website or PayPal! Www.srwhmg.org

We educate our volunteers in road safety classes in regards to crossing wild horses, and we implore them in the evenings to do what we call "Bush Hwy patrol". Since after 7 PM there is no local MCSO, we make our late night rounds to make sure that all horses are behind the fences and everything is safe for the night. We have saved many a wild horses' life that way, and sometimes people's lives as well, which may have been the case last night.
On last nights shift, our volunteer Cindy noticed fresh skid marks on the road and slowed her car to a stop to check it out around 8.45 pm. After about 20 yds, she spotted a totalled vehicle off the road in the trees with an interior light on. She immediately called 911.
The accident was not horse related and it involved no other vehicles. It involved a sweet, but confused 17 yr old kid, who lost control over his vehicle on dark Bush hwy. (Dont judge, we dont know all the facts) His vehicle hit the ditch and was basically launched into the trees and bushes about 20 yards in. He had no phone reception and did not know what to do. Cindy stayed on the scene with him until MCSO and Fire engines and EMT's arrived.
His 2008 Fusion completely totalled, he was walking and talking. He must have had (horse) angel's watching over him. He was later admitted to the hospital. Sam, approx 17 yrs old was out for a drive to "get a fresh look on life"..but according to his mom was supposed to be back before dark.
Sam will be safe now, and we want to wish him the very best from all of us. Stay strong buddy, life is not easy, but it is precious and you now have a new lease on it. Lots of positive energy is being sent your way. When you feel up to it, we would love to show you the beautiful area where wild horses still roam free. They are very smart survivors and they can teach all of us that in life, you just never ever ever give up.
Our fencing team, (although we feel it should really be MCDOT's job or FS job), does its best to repair miles of fencing to keep wild horses and people safe, and we will also fix this major repair quickly today. We temporarily marked with caution tape.

Announcing an awesome fundraiser at the Ciolim Gallery on Nov 17th and 18th. There will be Art classes, on site artists painting, a silent auction, SRWHMG merchandise, GREAT deals to be had and proceeds go to SRWHMG! free entry! Mark your calendars! We will see you there!

UPDATE
As all of you know, we have fought long and hard for the protection of the historic and beautiful Salt River wild horses, who today, are protected pursuant to A R.S. 3-1491. (Or the Salt River Horse Act, HB2340)
Pursuant to the Act, last year, the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) and the U.S. Forest Service signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for the management of the Salt River wild horses. This agreement allowed the AZDA to contract with the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group to manage the horses on a short term basis. We now have a Salt River Horse Liaison who is awesome to work with and the program is going great, including managing the health of the herd, improving their habitat, as well as the humane birth control aspect of it. (More news about that soon)
However, the agreement (IGA) also required the AZDA and Forest Service to engage in a collaborative process to develop the long-term management plan for the horses. That process is being overseen by the Udall Foundation U.S. Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution and will have many different stakeholders and interested parties at the table.
Our president Simone Netherlands, as well as a representative of the American Wild Horse Campaign, will represent the interests of the horses as well as you, the public who loves them.
We look forward to working with the government entities and interested parties in a series of meetings that will last one year.
We will work hard like we always have and continue to offer the manpower, the willpower and the funds (provided by the public) for the long term humane management of the herd, so they can stay wild and free.
The eventual management plan that is developed by the collaborative will be submitted to the Forest Service, which will then initiate a NEPA process to evaluate the impacts of the plan. The AZDA then also has to accept it and make sure it follows the letter of the law of the Salt River Horse Act.